Progressive product marketing on Instagram

Progressive product marketing on Instagram

Do you think you have what it takes to become an Instagram titan? Let’s find out.

Marketing strategies are always centred around the product; the first step to ensuring successful projection across any platform, Instagram or otherwise, is to define your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). What separates your company or product from the competition? If you can’t answer this question then any sales targeting efforts you make will surely go to waste. Only once you’ve got a clear understanding of your USP should you begin your Instagram campaign.

The features of Instagram include: photographs, short (3-15 seconds) video clips and social networking features such as follow/following, mention, hashtag and direct message. Within this simple framework, there are almost limitless ways to be creative with your marketing. Begin by developing your approach to photos and video. You probably can’t wait to show off your product, but do so in a manner that is unique, eye catching and different from what others are doing – don’t simply place your product against a bland coloured background and snap away!

Instead, be creative, conceptual and consistent (the three c’s) with the composition of your product shots. Go beyond the norm, show how your products are crafted and where they have come from, and don’t be afraid to demonstrate the ins and outs of your manufacturing process. Invoke engagement with your community by posing questions within your captions, such as: “which autumn colour do you like the best?” or “how will you use yours?”.

Encouraging community engagement in this manner is also a great way to generate social proof for your product. As digital marketing specialistThibaut Davoult says:

“When customers see photos of other “regular” people using a product, they’re more likely to buy. Why? This kind of social proof is a powerful motivator. Visitors gain trust by seeing others use the products they are about to buy.”

It’s important to present your company as service oriented – by doing this you touch base with people on a personal level as well as encouraging commentary and overall public activity. Showcase your products both statically and in action. Take the time to make your followers feel special by posting exclusive deals, behind the scenes footage, updates and new releases. Choose whom you follow wisely – handpick people which have the potential to drive your company exposure within the industry and employ the fundamentals of networking. Utilise relevant hashtags on your posts to ensure that the benefits of your product are successfully projected. Lastly, monitor your feed speed – don’t overwhelm by posting franticly. It’s okay to space out your content!

Now that you’ve squared away your creative strategy, it’s time to put it to the test – run your campaign, build a following and collect measurements (there are a number of analytics programs specifically designed for Instagram which will help you on your metric journey). Set benchmarks and ensure that your campaign is making progress as it rolls out. If unsuccessful, go back to the drawing board and re-adjust each element as necessary, but always stick to your principles.

Don’t be afraid to explore the application and learn via trial and error – what works for one niche may not work for another. Keep an eye on your competitors, encourage engagement by asking questions and go the extra mile when photographing your products. Above all else, love what you do – do it for the gram.

In the words of legendary Internet marketer and author Seth Godin, we’re living in a “connection economy” where the businesses that step up and create human connections with their customers are heavily rewarded.

By reading first and editing after, killing all distractions, experimenting with the order in which you write your posts and setting designated time periods for writing, you will notice a dramatic improvement in the time it takes you to write your content.

If you’re serious about content marketing, this means committing to researching, writing and uploading a blog post or other piece of content once every week at least. For some businesses, a post every couple of days is required.

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